Primary Biliary Cholangitis and Rheumatoid Arthritis: An Emerging Association

Abstract

Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC), formerly known as primary biliary cirrhosis, is an autoimmune-related cholestatic hepatopathy, representing a common cause of intrahepatic cholestasis due to progressive bile duct destruction. Often, PBC is linked with other autoimmune disorders such as Sjogren’s syndrome, thyroid dysfunction, scleroderma, and systemic lupus erythematosus. However, the association of PBC with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is rare, estimated at 1.8 to 5.6%. We present a clinical case of PBC discovered in a patient with deforming rheumatoid arthritis.